Zimbabwe beat Australia by 23 runs in Colombo in the biggest shock of the T20 World Cup so far.

A classy unbeaten 64 by the opener Brian Bennett helped the Africans reach 169 for two after their 20 overs, before the 6ft 6in Blessing Muzarabani took four wickets for just 17 runs against an injury-hit Australian outfit.

Having won the toss and put Zimbabwe in to bat, Australia toiled against the excellent Zimbabwe top order. Bennett’s knock was supplemented by two scores of 35 from Tadiwanashe Marumani and Ryan Burl, before the captain Sikandar Raza blasted an unbeaten 25 from 13 balls.

The Australian No6 Matt Renshaw put up an excellent fightback, scoring 65 off 44 deliveries to keep his team just about in the game after the Zimbabwe bowling attack cut through the Australian top order. Two ducks for the No3 and No4 Cameron Green and Tim David put them in a difficult position after they lost both openers, Josh Inglis and Travis Head. They were 29 for four after four and a half overs.

Renshaw and the No5 Glenn Maxwell steadied things but when their resistance was broken when the latter fell for 31 in the fifteenth over before they collapsed to 146 all out after 19.3 overs.